Police Crew Builds Camp on Community Land Earmarked for Public Market

July 23, 2014

Ignoring protest from local residents, the police crew in Alaesakhan Village, Yebyu Township, Tenasserim Region has abused its power to appropriate community land. The police crew has built its camp on public land, which had once been confiscated by Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 282, but had now been earmarked for Alaesakhan’s public market. Attempts of blocking the construction of the camp have failed, as authorities abused their power and continually ignored objections from the local community, forcing Alaesakhan residents to sell their goods along the motor-road.

Last year a community committee was created to oversee the search for well positioned land upon which to base the Alaesakhan village market, as well as the building and managing of the market. Although community land was allocated for the market, the local police crew, led by Lin Myat Soe, confiscated the land to build their camp.

The Alaesakhan Village administrator, along with village residents, explained to Lin Myat Soe that the land had been passed on by generation to generation for public use, and protested that the land remain that way. The police group ignored appeals from the local people, and continued to gather materials for camp construction.

“This is a really disappointing action of [the] police crew. We tried to have a [fixed] market in our village. We had been implementing since last year. We already decided to use the land located in the middle of [the] village. We already planned to give the land nearby [the] school [at the] top of [the] village for [the] police camp. We tried as much as we could, but Lin Myat Soe invaded the community land and built their camp. If they keep doing unreasonable actions, how [can] the villagers get along well with them? How [could] the social communication between the two sides be good?” said 50 year-old Alaesakhan villager, Nai Kan.

Alaesakhan villagers are currently using the land located beside the main motor-road of Ye-Tavoy as a temporary market.

“The current temporary market is…dangerous due to trucks,” said Alaesakhan resident, Mi Thin Thin, “There are also some accidents [that have] occurred. According to weather, there is dust and mud, so we need [a] proper market. It is not fair that they (the police crew) did not acknowledge public desire, and confiscated [land] to build their camp.

Unbeknownst to village residents, the police crew had secretly been collecting wood and construction material since villagers began talking about building a public market in October 2013. Villagers allege that the decision of confiscating this land could also be attributed to the police department based in Yebyu Town. For decades, villagers say, authorities have been abusing their power to choose well-positioned land to build their departments and bases.

“The place recommended by villagers to build the [police] camp is located outside [the] village. I think the police might not dare live outside [the] village, as Alaesakhan’s situation is not always peaceful. The market place, surrounded by households and fences, can be a safe place for them. However, as administration crew, they should use better methods and habit [for obtaining land]. By doing so, the relationship between authorities and local people will be better. If the police crew keeps abusing local people, they (the local people) will [view] the police and military as [a] dangerous group who will harm them,” explained an Alaesakhan villager.

As most residents rely on plantation farming, Alaesakhan villagers have faced the highest rate of land confiscation in Yebyu Township. According to data reports from the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), Alaesakhan villagers have had a total of 400 acres of land confiscated by LIB No. 406 and LIB No. 273.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News